The first mattress was probably made over 6,000 years ago and consisted of leaves, grass or straw with animal skins over it. Mattresses of today include three components: a support core; a foundation; and upholstery layers. The support core primarily provides a mattress's load bearing function. Most support cores are either spring cores—i.e., “innersprings” that are made of steel coil springs—or foam cores—i.e., shape-conforming latex or viscoelastic memory foam.
There are three main types of foundations: box-springs include a rigid frame with heavy-duty springs; traditional wood foundations are usually made of soft woods and consist of support slats covered with cardboard or beaverboard; grid foundations are a combination of steel and wood. The foundation provides a secondary source of support for a person's body.
The upholstery layer is sometimes called the “comfort layer.” It is composed of an insulator, middle upholstery and a quilt. The insulator is typically fiber or mesh and serves to separate the support core from the middle upholstery. Materials within the middle upholstery are foams or fibers intended to provide comfort to a person. The quilt provides the soft surface on top of a mattress and is usually constructed of light foam or fibers.
Despite all the mattresses that have been designed and produced over the last 6,000 years, there is still a need for new designs that meet objectives identified today.